Lean Manufacturing Programs

CMS has special expertise in Lean Manufacturing principles and provides training and implementation assistance on the following:

Lean Overview Training

CMS provides a one-day "Introduction to Lean Manufacturing" workshop to provide an understanding of the concepts that have been successfully employed by thousands of companies. This is a highly interactive program with attendees learning the lean “tools” and applying them to a simulated factory. Attendees get to transform this factory from a traditional long lead time, batch-oriented operation to one that aligns customer demand with production output and runs better, without people working harder.

Value Stream Mapping

Value Stream Mapping is a method used to visually depict material and information flows through an operation. Value Stream Mapping involves four steps: Select a product family, develop a current state map showing the ways things really are today, develop a future state map showing improvements that are possible utilizing lean concepts, and generate an implementation plan to realize the improvements developed in the future state. At the conclusion of a Value Stream Mapping event, participants can see first-hand the benefits to be gained from a lean transformation. More information.

Workplace Organization using the "5S" System

The 5S system, which stands for Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain, is an ideal methodology for achieving a safe, orderly, efficient, and pleasant workplace. When an organization goes through a 5S transformation, employees have a much easier time finding what they need, as there truly is "a place for everything and everything is in its place." More information.

Setup Reduction/Quick Changeover

Understanding Quick Changeover principles is an essential first step to any meaningful improvement in equipment setup time. These principles include effective tool, material, and equipment organization, performing critical activities “offline”, and developing a standard, repeatable approach to equipment setup. We work with company employees to apply these principles in their operations which usually lead to setup time reductions of 50% or more. More information.

Administrative Lean

Many of the principles that help streamline manufacturing operations are applicable to the administrative side of any business. We show companies how to gather the information required to identify and eliminate all non-value adding activities (otherwise known as waste), culminating in a lean administrative process. More information.

Cellular Manufacturing

A Manufacturing Cell is an ideal means of reducing or, in some cases, eliminating many of the wastes associated with traditional manufacturing processes. A cell is a linking of all of the steps required to manufacture a product. By linking all steps, we can effectively balance manufacturing operations to reduce lead times, minimize work in process, optimize floor space usage, and improve productivity. More information.

Pull Scheduling

A Pull system is a simple, visual means of scheduling that calls for producing only what can be consumed. Pull systems minimize the “wastes” of overproduction and excess inventory by more effectively controlling throughput. CMS can work with companies to customize a pull system to suit any type of process in either manufacturing or service environments. More information.

Total Productive Maintenance

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a concept for replacing unplanned equipment downtime with planned downtime. TPM starts by measuring Overall Equipment Effectiveness (a measure of equipment availability, performance efficiency, and rate of quality) as a means of understanding how equipment is currently running. Once this is understood, the focus is improvement through increased use of visual controls, daily equipment startup activities, regularly scheduled preventive maintenance tasks, and more. More information.